Sermon Tone Analysis

Title: Imitating Their Faith

Theme: Spiritual Lessons/Apostle Paul and St. Patrick

Series: St. Patrick’s Sunday Messages

A saint has been defined as “a man in whom Christ lives”

The writer of the Book of Hebrews has some real sound advice for the children of God, “Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you.

Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

(Hebrews 13:7)

A saint has been defined as “a man in whom Christ lives.”

The real leader of the church preaches and lives in Christ.

Men are captivated by Christians who live out what they believe.

Mankind will not necessarily agree with what a man preaches, but they will take note of how he lives.

The writer of Hebrews talks about the nature of all great leaders for the Lord in this dispensation.

All Christian leaders have their part in the drama of life and then the curtain comes down.

However, Christ is the same yesterday and today and will be forever.

Just as Christ hates evil and calls out to sinners, He sends out those who will be obedient to do His work today.

One of the great leaders of New Testament is the Apostle Paul and he gives us this exhortation in 1 Corinthians 11:1, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”

(1 Corinthians 11:1) Pray!

Just what is worth grasping as we look into the lives of men of faith?

Men are imitative beings, and from a law of their nature, those whom they most admire and whom they most associate with will have an effect on their character.

This is why the Apostle Paul implores us to become imitators of him only as he follows Christ.

Paul writes, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.

The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

(Galatians 2:20)

Christians who desire to imitate Paul’s faith in Christ will meditate on what the Bible says about him and appreciate the work God has done in men and women who have taken on the work of Christ since Paul’s going home to be with the Lord.

As we have just passed St. Patrick’s day it would be good for us evaluate the outcome of the way of life of the Apostle Paul and St. Patrick.

I would like to read a prayer of St. Patrick titled “I Rise Today;” “I bind unto myself today the strong name of the trinity, by invocation of the same, the Three in One, the One in Three.

I bind this day to me forever by power of faith in Christ’s incarnation, His baptism in the Jordan river, His death on the cross for my salvation; His bursting from the spiced tomb, His riding up the heavenly way, His coming at the day of doom I bind unto myself today.

I bind unto myself today the power of God to hold and lead, His eye to watch, His might to stay, His ear to harken to my need, the wisdom of my God to teach, His hand to guide, His shield to ward, the Word of God to give me speech, His heavenly host to be my guard.

Christ be with me, Christ within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me; Christ to comfort and restore me; Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ in quiet, Christ in danger, Christ in hearts of all that love me, Christ in mouth of a friend…

I bind unto myself the name, the strong name of the Trinity, by invocation of the same, the Three in One, and One in Three, of whom all nature hath creation, eternal Father, Spirit, Word; praise to the God of my salvation, salvation is of Christ the Lord!”

I would propose to you that Christians who walk in obedience to God’s call upon their lives are worthy of our attention and we should imitate their faith.

As I have taken time to prayerfully consider our message today.

I was intrigued over the comparisons of the call of and the ministries given to the Apostle Paul and this man we call St. Patrick.

Their lives show how to follow the call of God and the impact it can have upon the lives of those who hear the message of the Lord.

The first base to cover in imitating the faith of someone is to make sure that they have had a genuine conversion to Christ.

In considering the outcome of the way of life of the Apostle Paul we should read of his heart before and after receiving Christ.

Acts 26:9 records Paul’s conversation with King Agrippa saying, “I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the Name of Jesus of Nazareth.”

Luke also writes about Paul’s hope in Christ after his conversion, “The Jews all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child, from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem.

They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that according to the strictest sect of our religion, I lived as a Pharisee.

And now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our fathers that I am on trial today.”

(Acts 26:4-6)

The Apostle Paul knew what it was that kept him from being in the center of God’s will, he repented, produced the fruit of repentance and confessed to those to whom he wanted to preach Christ.

Paul told King Agrippa about his experience on the road to Damascus.

(Acts 26:12-18) Listen to these words of Christ in Paul’s confession.

“Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?

It is hard to kick against the goads.”

(Acts 26:14) Because of spiritual blindness, Paul, suffered a short term physical blindness, however, his short term bondage opened the way for him to receive Christ as Savior and Lord.

Like Paul, St. Patrick had a season of bondage that opened his eyes to Christ.

Listen to his confession, “I, Patrick, a sinner, a most simple countryman, the least of all the faithful and most contemptible to many, had for a father the deacon Calpurnius, son of the late Potitus, a priest… I was taken captive about sixteen years of age.

I did not, indeed, know the true God; and I was taken into captivity in Ireland with many thousands of people according to our sins.

We were quite drawn away from God.

We did not keep His precepts, nor were we obedient to our priests who used to remind us of our salvation.

The Lord brought down on us the fury of His being and scattered us among many nations, even to the ends of the earth, where I, in my smallness, am now to be found among foreigners.

And there the Lord opened my mind to an awareness of my unbelief, in order that, even so late, I might remember my transgressions and turn with all my heart to the Lord my God, who had regard for my insignificance and pitied my youth and ignorance.

And He watched over me before I knew Him, and before I learned sense or even distinguished between good and evil, and He protected me, and consoled me as a father would his son.”

Both Paul and St. Patrick walked a season in unbelief in the Christ who showed his love for them upon the Cross, before they could express true love back to Him.

God brought both Paul and St. Patrick to repentance through affliction and enabled them to enjoy conversion in Christ Name.

All non-Christians are in bondage of some kind due to non-belief and living for self.

When a sinner has the courage to recognize the true condition of his spiritual heart, an enemy against God he may imitate the faith of Paul and St. Patrick.

This imitation of confessing and repentance to Christ leads to the joy and peace expressed by the Apostle Paul who wrote, “For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life!

Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”

(Romans 5:10-11)

The first steps to cover in imitating a Christian’s faith in Christ are to recognizes one’s true condition before the Lord, receive forgiveness found in Jesus and be reconciled unto God.

Life’s focus is on the “Great Commission

The next step in imitating someone’s faith in Christ is to make sure their life’s focus is on the “Great Commission.”

Matthew 28:16-20 says, “Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.

When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.

Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in of the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’”

An examination of the Apostle Paul’s and St. Patrick’s lives, and a study of their God ordained ministries challenge all Christians to be open to the call of God on their lives.

God used them powerfully and there is a heart attitude that must be grasped for the child of God who wants to enjoy the life changing ministry that they enjoyed.

These two pillars of faith were committed to getting the gospel to those whom the Lord wanted them to, regardless of the price.

Christians who understand the forgiveness of God and the price paid for them on the Cross of Calvary have Holy Spirit enlightened hearts on God’s direction for them and they have an enablement to pray through their mission.

In Acts 21:11-13 we read of Paul’s willingness to take whatever comes his way for the sake of achieving God’s plan for him.

At this time in Christian history Paul is making his way to Jerusalem to fulfill God’s will for him.

In His farewell speech to the Ephesian elders Paul says, "And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there.

I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me.

However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.”

(Acts 20:22-24)

In Acts 21 Paul has been staying at the house of the evangelist Philip, who was one of the Seven.

(Acts 21:8) While in Caesarea the prophet Agabus comes to Paul and tells him what awaits in Jerusalem.

The Bible says, “Coming over to us, [Agabus] took Paul's belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, ‘The Holy Spirit says,

In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.'

When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem.’

Then Paul answered, ‘Why are you weeping and breaking my heart?

I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.’"

(Acts 21:11-13) The message from God through His faithful prophet gave Paul the confirmation he needed to achieve the Lord’s will and call for him regardless of the response of those to whom he went to proclaim the gospel.

This is the same heart that is reflected in the life and speech of St. Patrick who said, “Am I willing and able to forgive those who have caused pain in my life?

Am I willing to follow the call of God and even give my life to those who enslaved me?” Paul was about to go to Jerusalem where there would be uncertain turbulent times and St. Patrick was willing to go back to a place that held him slave to a warlord, working as a shepherd for six years.

It would be wrong to say or believe that every child of God who is greatly used by the Lord will face what the Apostle Paul and Patrick did.

What the Holy Spirit wants you to ask yourself is, “Will you be found faithful to the work God has called you to regardless of the opposition you may face?”

Grow in their faith in turbulent times through prayer

Christians who follow God’s call are worthy of our attention.

So are Christians who grow in their faith in turbulent times through prayer.

The Apostle Paul tells us, “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia.

We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life… But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.

He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us.

On Him we have set our hope that He will continue to deliver us, as you helped us by your prayers…” (2 Corinthians 1:8-10)

The Apostle Paul and those serving the Lord with him were taken through some trials that caused them to even despair of life down here, yet they saw these trials as opportunities to see God do a powerful work in their lives and before mankind.